Miter box



June 22, 1343. J. AMM/,CHE A 2,322,433

ITER Box Filed Nov. l2, 1940 clamp members or means tion against pressure exerted by their respective Patented June 22, 1943 unirse Staes rice MITEK BOX Frank J. Gammache, deceased,

late of Manheim Lancaster, Pa., assign- Application November 12, 194i), Serial No. 365,352

(Cl. MIb-36) 2 Claims.

, which will retain its shape without becoming bent or sprung, and accordingly will remain accurate, throughout a long period of use.

More specific objects are: to provide in such a sheet material miter box a novel arrangement of corrugations which, in addition to reinforcing and stiffening the entire miter box frame or body, also serve as guide channels vor meansk cooperating with the movable clamp members, and serve to rigidly brace and maintain the stationary inxed upright posicooperatinglmovable clamp members; and toprovide in such a miter box a novel arrangement and construction of stationary clamp means. and saw guides associated therewith to form a guide slot. Y

In this application there is shown and described only the preferred embodiment ofthel invention simply by way of. illustration-of the practice thereof, as by law required. However, it is recognized that the invention is capable of other 5 and different embodiments, and that the various details thereof may be modified in various ways;

therefore the drawing and description hereinY are tobe considered as `merel-y illustrative and-not as exclusive.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure lrepresents a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of= the invention;

Figure 2, a section on the line 2-2`of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.;-

Figure 3, a section on the line 3,-3`of Figure 1, looking in thefdirection of the arrow; and,

Figure 4, a detail plan view of Vone of the movable clamp members of the preferred form of the invention illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 3.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated the present preferred embodiment of the invention, and first considering the entire structure rather generally,

it may be seen that the same comprises: a rigid sheet material base or body, designated I in its entirety, in whichare formed two relatively angularly disposed rearwardly converging downwardly pressed` corrugations 2 defining linear guide channels in the upper surface of the base I;

a pair of upright supports 3* integrally connected to the base I at the respective converging rear ends of the corrugations 2 and formed with upwardly extending rearwardly pressed corrugations 4 communicating at their lower ends with said respective corrugations 2 so as to form upwardly disposed continuations thereof; stationary clamp plates 5 secured to said respective supports 3 and having relatively spaced parallel saw guides 5 connected to their respective adjacent edges to define a guide slot 1 for a saw; movable clamp members II having guides or portions I5 slidably received in and conforming to the respective corrugations or channels 2 to maintain said members II at all times in alignment with their respective cooperating stationary clamp plates 5; and means such as the operating screws III threaded through upturned lugs 9 of the base I for causing movement of said respective members II towards and away from their cooperating members 5.

Referring now more in detail to the specific construction and arrangement of parts of the preferred embodiment, it is to be noted that the hereinbefore mentioned base I, supports 3, and lugs 9, are particularly adapted for economical manufacture by suitable sheet metal stamping operations from a single substantially sector shaped sheet steel or other rigid sheet material blank, the supports 3 being turned upright at an angle to each other and preferably perpendicularly relative to the base I, as shown.

Obviously the upturned supports and lugs 3 and respectively, and the downwardly pressed corrugations 2, will serve to reinforce and stiffen the side portions of the base I, however in addition it is desirable to provide some means for strengthening and stiffening the medial portion of said base between the corrugations 2, as for instance the downwardly pressed transversely extending corrugation I2 and the downwardly turned flange Illv at the front edge of the base. It is highly desirable to have the lowermost surfaces of the corrugations 2 and I2, and the lower edge of flange I4, all disposed in the same plane, as shown in Figure 2, to rest flush against a flat supporting surface A and thus provide firm nonwobbling support for the miter box.

In order to permit secure fastening of the base I to the flat surface A, which may represent the top of a work table or bench or the like, by widely spaced unobstrusive fastening means, it is preferred that screw holes 8 may be provided preferably at the rear or converging ends of the respective corrugations 2, said screw porting action will holes 8 preferably being countersunk so that the heads of fastening screws (not shown) received therein will not obstruct the path of movement of the respective clamp members I I. Although any of a number of various fastening arrangements and dispositions of screw holes may be employed, the foregoing arrangement is preferable in that it serves to maintain the bottoms of the corrugations 8 firmly against the supporting surface A, the securing screws will be widely spaced to prevent twisting or turning of the miter box, and will additionally be disposed so as not to obstruct the placing of the work pieces or the movement of the clamp members II.

Each of the hereinbefore mentioned corrugations 2 is preferably of uniform depth through its length so as to permit uninterrupted sliding movement of the guides or portions I of members II therein, however it is desirable, though not essential, that the upward continuation or portion 4 of each said corrugation should be of .maximum depth at its lower end juncture with its respective corrugation 2 and become increasingly shallower towards its upper end, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, whereby the rearwardly projecting bottom of cach said corrugation 4 constitutes a diagonal forwardly inclined brace for its respective support 3 and the stationary clamp plate 5 secured thereto, and thus serves to rigidly brace and maintain its respective support 3 in upright position to withstand a large amount of pressure exerted by its cooperating movable clamp member II. This same bracing and supof course be present, though probably to a somewhat smaller degree, even though corrugations 4 are not formed with sloping bottoms having their maximum depth at their lower ends.

Although the clamp plates 5 might conceivably be omitted, in most cases they are highly desirable inasmuch as it is impractical to turn up from the base I supports, such as 4, which would be of proper size and shape to cooperate most effectually with the movable clamp members I I, and to which saw guides such as 6 could be eficiently and economically attached. 'Ihe clamp plates 5 are formed as separate preferably rectangular preferably stamped sheet metal members and may be secured to their respective supports 3 in any suitable manner, as by spot welding, and the saw guides 5 preferably constitute integral rearwardly bent parallel portions of said plates 5. Preferably said plates 5 are disposed at right angles to each other and the guide slot 'I defined by said guides S is disposed in a direction bisecting the angle defined by said plates 5. It is to be understood of course that the saw guides 6 may be omitted where it is desired to use the device exclusively merely as a clamp for assembling previously mitered work Ipieces.

The movable clamp members II are each formed with a preferably integral guide portion or key I5 to be conformingly siidably disposed in the respective `corrugations or channels 2, as hereinbefore mentioned, and in the preferred form of the invention illustrated the members II project laterally on either side of their respective channels 2 and have straight lower edges I6 which may be disposed in slidable engagement with the base I and, together with the guides or keys I5, prevent the members II respectively from rotating with their operating screws I0, though it is thought to be apparent i I9, to form an enlargement that the guides I5 may be relied upon by themselves to prevent such rotation.

The operating screws I0 illustrated merely comprise one convenient means for producing movement of the movable clamp members II towards and away from their respective stationary members or plates 5 and various equivalent means may be employed within thev scope of the invention.

In the illustrated preferred arrangement of said operating screws I0, each said screw I0 is preferably in the form of an eyebolt, the annular portion I'I of which serves as convenient gripping and rotating means, and the free end of each said screw is suitably rotatably connected to its respective member II as by passing it through a countersunk hole I8 formed in the medial portion of said member and upsetting the metal at the end of said screw into the countersunk portion of said hole I8, as at preventing removal of said member II from screw I 0. It is to be noted also that said enlargement I9 lies flush with the surface of the clamp member II and therefore will not tend to mar the work piece engaged thereby.

As a precaution against stripping the threads rom the threaded bores 2U in each of lugs 9, it is desirable to form at the mouth of each said bor 2Q, an annular flange 2| serving to increase the thickness of the sheet material surrounding said bore and accordingly the axial extent and holding power of the threads in said bore 20.

The hereinbefore described device may be 0perated in the usual conventional manner, as by clamping the work piece, which may consist of picture frame parts, moulding strips, etc., of various sizes and widths, between either of the sets of clamp members 5 and Il, whereby the work piece may be cut at the desired angle by a saw having its blade slidably disposed in and guided by the slot 1 between guides 6. Thereafter, if desired, two of such pieces may be clamped at an angle to each other and suitably held by the respective sets of clamps or clamp members 5, I I, while their previously sawed ends are joined together at an angle by any suitable means.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the novel arrangement of corrugations 2 and 4 set forth serves to rigidly reinforce the miter box and particularly the upright supports 3 thereof, and also the portions 2 of said corrugations serve as guide channels for the movable clamp members I I, thus making for a strong eflicient, economically manufactured miter box. Also the arrangement of clamp plates 5 and guides B carried by the supports 3 is believed to result in a novel, eicient, economical and highly useful construction.

What is claimed is:

l. A miter box comprising, a substantially sector shaped base plate formed with two relatively angularly disposed linear guide channels therein, a pair of upright supports integrally connected to said plate at the converging ends of said respective guide channels, each said support extending in a transverse plane relative to its respective guide channel and being formed with a reinforcing channel constituting an angularly upwardly disposed continuation of said guide channel, stationary clamp members secured to said respective supports and disposed in converging planes relative to each other, relatively parallel spaced saw guides integral with the respective converging edges of said stationary clamp members secting the dihedral angle dened by said members, upwardly turned lugs integrally attached to said base plate at the respective diverging ends of said guide channels, operating screws threaded through said respective lugs in directions parallel to said respective able clamp members respectively rotatably secured to the ends of said screws for movement therewith towards and away from-said respective stationary clamp members, and guides carried by each of said members and conformingly disposed for sliding movement in said respective guide channelsto maintain said movable clamp members at all times in alignment with their respective cooperating. stationary clamp members.

2. A miterfbox comprising, a base formed with two relatively angularly disposed linear guide corrugations thereiny a pair of upright supports integrally connected to said base at the converging ends of said respective guide corrugatiens, each said support extending in a transverse direction relative to its respective guide guide channels, move to dene a guide slot bicorrugation and being formed with a reinforcing corrugation constituting a relatively angularly disposed upwardly extending continuation of said guide corrugation, stationary clamp members secured to said respective supports in converging planes relative to each other, relatively spaced parallel saw guides integral with said stationary clamp members to define a guide slot, upwardly turned, lugs integrally attached to hase at the respective diverging ends 0f said guide corrugations, operating screws threaded through said respective lugs, movable clamp members respectively rotatably secured to said screws ier movement therewith towards and away from said respective stationary clamp members, and guide portions carried by each of said members and conformingly slidably disposed for movement in said respective guide corrugatiens whereby said movable clamp members are maintained in alignment with their respective stationary members and also prevented from rotating relative thereto.

MAGDALENA GAMMACHE, Eecutrz'x of the Last Will cmd Testament of Frank J. Gam/mache, Deceased. 

